
If your van and its contents are your business, then losing them could have a devastating impact on your livelihood, as well as your business reputation if you have to cancel jobs last minute. Ensuring that they are kept safe and secure is of paramount importance.
According to the BBC, in the UK a van is broken into and tools stolen around every 20 minutes.
There are a number of things that you can do to secure your tools.
Common sense
One of the simplest ways to keep your tools secure is to make sure that they’re not left in your van when it’s unattended. However, this isn’t always possible. If you have to work away overnight, for example, or when you’re actually carrying out a job, you can’t always have your van in your sight. But wherever possible, you should empty the valuable contents of your van into secure storage when you’re not using it.
Kitting out your van
If the thought of gathering up all your tools and hauling them into your garage or another secure storage area at the end of a heavy day on site seems daunting, why not consider kitting out your vehicle with van racking?
This will allow you to sort and store your tools and equipment is a logical and practical order that will make it quicker to empty at night, and it will help you find what you’re looking for while you’re working.
Companies such as http://www.vehicle-accessories.net/Interior/Van-Racking/Sortimo-Racking supply a range of racking solutions to suit most vehicles.
You may also want to consider lockable storage boxes to use on your racking. This will not only make it easier to transfer your tools from the van at night, but it will also mean they’re more secure during the day when you do have to leave your van unattended.
The locks on your van can also help to improve security and some products can even help to deter would-be thieves, such as the addition of protection plates. If you’re not happy with the standard locks on your vehicle, consider replacing them with slam locks, deadlocks or rep-locks.
So, if you’re tools are your livelihood, take some of these simple steps to ensure that they’re kept safe and secure and you don’t become prey to opportunist thieves.